Paradise Lost: Smyrna 1922
Through Levantine eyes
Giles MiltonSceptre, 426pp, £20,
Philip Mansel reviews a pair of books on Turkey
Concentration on hatred between races can obscure equally fierce hatreds between classes and parties. Was there more hatred in Izmir before 1922 than in, for example, Istanbul before the coup of 1980, or 19th-century Paris? Even today some believe that Turkey’s ‘hidden tensions’ could explode ‘just like Iraq’. When you ask Turks with whom they would rather live — Greeks, or their fellow-citizens of Kurdish descent — they laugh. ‘Greeks, of course’ is the invariable reply.
Problems of modernisation, and relations with Europe, remain unresolved. In The Bridge Geert Mak, the Dutch journalist and author of In Europe, reproduces some of the many conversations he has had, through an interpreter, with people working on the Galata bridge. It links the more traditional south side of the Golden Horn in Istanbul with its more modern northern side. He calls it ‘a journey between Orient and Occident’. The bridge is a less alluring version of the pre-1922 Izmir corniche, attracting passers-by, street-sellers and fishermen. Many are immigrants from villages in eastern Turkey, who come to Istanbul as there is no work elsewhere. The bridge is ‘one great wicker work of deals’.
Mak quotes remarks made on the bridge, which reflect the tensions and compromises of modern Istanbul. Letting individuals speak for themselves, he is more vivid than many professional travel writers. ‘All these traditions only lead to more chaos’; ‘everyone is pretending’; ‘our pick-pockets are the best in Europe!’ Men boast that ‘closed women’, ‘completely wrapped in sheets’, will do ‘anything’. ‘Open women’ are more likely to be harassed or insulted. Women are most concerned with freedom to work and economic independence. Istanbul is booming, but the poor suffer as prices rise and the textile industry moves to China. No one on the bridge earns more than a subsistence income.
During Ramadan, whatever their feelings about the ‘hirsute hypocrites’ of the mosques, most fast. As soon as the signal is given that the fast has ended, the bridge ‘is transformed into a huge hungry mouth’. The rule of the bridge is: ‘keep your hands to yourself — don’t steal — watch your mouth — and keep your dick in your trousers.’
Glue-sniffing is popular among the young, partly to keep out the cold. The family is the prime social force. You work for your family; it works for you. Towards Europe and ‘the West’ feelings are ‘complicated’. Wounded pride and envy are strong, although Turkey is a well-rewarded ally of the United States and Israel. Yet many dream of escape from Turkish police and family pressures. ‘My god Europe, we’d love to go there,’ says a cigarette-seller .
Philip Mansel is writing a history of Levantine cities.
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Alice Benjamin
May 11th, 2008 1:53pmI advise everyone not to care these kinds of books just written to show Turkish hatred and enmity.Who burnt Smyrna?Armenians burnt.Recently the sources found out shows clearly Armenians started fire to destroy all Turkish neighbourhoods with the blowing wind to the east in the mornings.But that didnt go as they thought and wind blew to north,north east and the fire burnt all Armenian and particularly Greek and European neighbourhoods.Serbian fire brigade director of smyrna reported this,the US consulate too.and After Turks saved the city back,Ataturk commanded not to disturb any people staying in Smyrna.Of course a few events may be happened between the local people of Smyrna but who will explain the deaths,raped women,tortures on Turkish people during Greek invasion?Who can explain the fake documents of Greece to take this land in the Paris Conference.Please be honest and everyone should see the truth.These are bad,old campaigns to show Turks as barbars.Eye-witnesses already will never tell the trtuh because they got a war and who can think them to be objective?let's leave unnecessary discussions!And how many people know how many fake documents there are just prepared to slander Turks?what a pity!
alkan kizildel
May 22nd, 2008 2:11pmIt is outlandish so say that "Kemal helped destroy its most modern city". What evidence is there for this allegation apart from gossip? In fact Izmir was a city that Kemal loved: it reminded him of Salonika his hometown, cosmopolitan and tolerant... Kemal's first action after reaching Izmir waterfront was to visit a Greek café and to order a glass of duziko..!
mehmet aydin
June 30th, 2008 3:35pmgreat book!
unfortunately, destruction still continous in izmir (smyrna) again and again..
there are only 28 greeks in smyrna now (!) maybe 3,4 armenians.
smyrna burnt by my turkish grandfathers and it was one of the most shameful act of meditarenean history. now, there is a big park on old armenian quarter. big "kitsch" buildings across "kai"